Disclaimer: Story by me but not the characters.
Double Edged Sword.
******************************************************
Sydney peeped into the room to check on Nigel. He was asleep on the bed. Sydney closed the door quietly and walked into the small hall of the two- bed room hotel suite.
Preston sat quietly on the sofa and studied the medallion and sighed. Sydney knew exactly how he felt. She knows exactly what it feels like to know that he could lose someone close and precious to him. Because that's exactly how she felt right at the moment. She glanced at the wastepaper basket and saw that it was filled with tissue paper soaked with blood. Nigel's blood.
"He's getting worse isn't he?"
Sydney looked up at Preston. He knew the answer as well as she did.
"And to think that he once said that all he wanted was a quiet place with a lot of books. Just how in the world did that turn him into a globe traveling relic hunter." Preston smiled at himself as if recalling something from his past, or Nigel's.
"Preston-I'm sorry," Sydney sat next to him. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let follow me around like that." A lump was starting to form in Sydney's throat.
Preston held Sydney's hand and looked into her face. "Don't blame yourself Sydney. It's not your fault. Honestly, I think that underneath that whining grumbling brother of mine, he's actually enjoying every minute of it."
"Thanks."
Sydney got up and took her bag. "Well I guess I'd better start unpacking in my room next door." Sydney reached for the door.
"Sydney."
Sydney turned back.
"I don't want lose him. He's all I have left," whispered Preston.
"Neither do I."
******************************************************
Nigel stared back at the reflection of himself in the mirror. He could still smell the blood and checked if there was still any bleeding. Nigel was satisfied that there wasn't any.
"Time to face the world," Nigel said to himself. He stepped out of the bathroom and wore a sweater. He than opened the door and the smell of coffee filled his nose. Nigel was glad that he was smelling something fresh and not blood.
"Ah, you're awake."
Nigel smiled at Preston who was reading the newspapers and sipping coffee.
"Coffee?" Preston asked lifting up his cup.
"No thank you. Where's Sydney?" asked Nigel, not being able to find her.
"Right here." Sydney announced as she walked through the door. "I was at the library looking up for some leads to finding the scabbard."
"Anything?" Preston asked.
Nigel sat down at the table and poked at the array of bread that was sat on the table. Nothing seemed appetizing so he decided that he wasn't hungry.
"Maybe. We'll have to decipher the riddle first. Nigel?"
"Hmm? Oh the translation. Yes." Nigel opened his bag and searched for the piece of paper. "Here it is," Nigel lifted up the paper and gave it to Sydney.
Sydney read out loud the riddle. "At the sun of time- that could mean dawn. As for the eagles part-wait. I think I read something about a mansion that was build by Dandolo." Sydney opened one of the books she had and flipped open a page. "there here it is."
Preston read through it and then passed it to Nigel. "There's a mansion named Eagle" Preston said.
"Could it be where it is?" Nigel asked placing the book back down.
"Could be, but it's a good place to start," Sydney pointed out.
"Then let's get started."
"I'll get the car," Preston said finishing the remains of his coffee. He then walked out the door with keys in his hands.
Nigel was about to follow Preston when he remembered something important. "Oh, um. could wait a minute Syd." Nigel walked back into his room and grabbed the sword. He sighed "My chain and ball," Nigel said to himself.
The road was bumpy and Sydney gritted her teeth against the roller coaster ride. The car was quiet as Nigel read through the riddle for the umpteenth time and Preston watched the trees go by through the car window. Sydney concentrated on the road and wondered how long more did she have to drive. Just as she was about to scream from frustration, the mansion came into view.
"There it is," Preston said breaking the silence.
Sydney parked the car in front of the gate and killed the engine. All three of them got down from the car and stared at the mammoth sized mansion.
"This isn't a mansion, this is a palace," Nigel exclaimed.
Sydney walked up the gate, which was about 6 feet high and started to climb it.
"Not another 'unofficial' visit," Preston moaned obviously still remembering the last time they did it.
"Oh stop whining and just climb Preston," Nigel said already almost at the top.
"Well look who's talking. If I remember it was you who always grumbled or complained about something. Podge."
"I resent that!" Nigel said in frustration as he looked up at Preston who had reached over the top.
"Okay, that's enough. Let's just get this done and over with. Without the family memories," Sydney said putting and end to the argument.
The three of them walked into the mansion and looked in awe at the size of the place. Sydney silently whispered a prayer that they'll be able to find the scabbard without any more obstacles.
"You know Syd," Nigel said. " I've been giving the riddle some thought and I think I managed to figure out the part of the 'sun of time'. It could be a sun dial and not dawn."
"Yes, he could be right. I remember reading one of the books about Dandolo's greatest pride was a sundial that he build. It was for his 75th birthday." Preston said.
"Well than let's look for a sundial then," Sydney had already started up a flight of stairs.
The time was 5 p.m. and they still hadn't found anything. Sydney sighed and leaned back against a wall.
"More than 8 hours of searching and still nothing. I'm starting to hate this Dandolo guy," Preston said sitting on a stair.
Maybe we've haven't been looking hard enough. Come on, there must be a place we haven't looked," Sydney said standing straight. The last she wanted was to break Nigel's hope of survival. She stared at him as he looked out a window his eyes half closed and a million miles away.
Preston stood up and dusted his pants, ready for another try.
"Face it Syd, this isn't the place," Nigel said looking down at the floor. "Let's go." Nigel walked out though the door leaving Preston and Sydney alone in the mansion.
Sydney looked at Nigel. She didn't know what to say. But he was right. This wasn't the place.
Author's note: So whada think. I'm being mean here and decide to extend the story for the sake of suspense. ^__^
Double Edged Sword.
******************************************************
Sydney peeped into the room to check on Nigel. He was asleep on the bed. Sydney closed the door quietly and walked into the small hall of the two- bed room hotel suite.
Preston sat quietly on the sofa and studied the medallion and sighed. Sydney knew exactly how he felt. She knows exactly what it feels like to know that he could lose someone close and precious to him. Because that's exactly how she felt right at the moment. She glanced at the wastepaper basket and saw that it was filled with tissue paper soaked with blood. Nigel's blood.
"He's getting worse isn't he?"
Sydney looked up at Preston. He knew the answer as well as she did.
"And to think that he once said that all he wanted was a quiet place with a lot of books. Just how in the world did that turn him into a globe traveling relic hunter." Preston smiled at himself as if recalling something from his past, or Nigel's.
"Preston-I'm sorry," Sydney sat next to him. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let follow me around like that." A lump was starting to form in Sydney's throat.
Preston held Sydney's hand and looked into her face. "Don't blame yourself Sydney. It's not your fault. Honestly, I think that underneath that whining grumbling brother of mine, he's actually enjoying every minute of it."
"Thanks."
Sydney got up and took her bag. "Well I guess I'd better start unpacking in my room next door." Sydney reached for the door.
"Sydney."
Sydney turned back.
"I don't want lose him. He's all I have left," whispered Preston.
"Neither do I."
******************************************************
Nigel stared back at the reflection of himself in the mirror. He could still smell the blood and checked if there was still any bleeding. Nigel was satisfied that there wasn't any.
"Time to face the world," Nigel said to himself. He stepped out of the bathroom and wore a sweater. He than opened the door and the smell of coffee filled his nose. Nigel was glad that he was smelling something fresh and not blood.
"Ah, you're awake."
Nigel smiled at Preston who was reading the newspapers and sipping coffee.
"Coffee?" Preston asked lifting up his cup.
"No thank you. Where's Sydney?" asked Nigel, not being able to find her.
"Right here." Sydney announced as she walked through the door. "I was at the library looking up for some leads to finding the scabbard."
"Anything?" Preston asked.
Nigel sat down at the table and poked at the array of bread that was sat on the table. Nothing seemed appetizing so he decided that he wasn't hungry.
"Maybe. We'll have to decipher the riddle first. Nigel?"
"Hmm? Oh the translation. Yes." Nigel opened his bag and searched for the piece of paper. "Here it is," Nigel lifted up the paper and gave it to Sydney.
Sydney read out loud the riddle. "At the sun of time- that could mean dawn. As for the eagles part-wait. I think I read something about a mansion that was build by Dandolo." Sydney opened one of the books she had and flipped open a page. "there here it is."
Preston read through it and then passed it to Nigel. "There's a mansion named Eagle" Preston said.
"Could it be where it is?" Nigel asked placing the book back down.
"Could be, but it's a good place to start," Sydney pointed out.
"Then let's get started."
"I'll get the car," Preston said finishing the remains of his coffee. He then walked out the door with keys in his hands.
Nigel was about to follow Preston when he remembered something important. "Oh, um. could wait a minute Syd." Nigel walked back into his room and grabbed the sword. He sighed "My chain and ball," Nigel said to himself.
The road was bumpy and Sydney gritted her teeth against the roller coaster ride. The car was quiet as Nigel read through the riddle for the umpteenth time and Preston watched the trees go by through the car window. Sydney concentrated on the road and wondered how long more did she have to drive. Just as she was about to scream from frustration, the mansion came into view.
"There it is," Preston said breaking the silence.
Sydney parked the car in front of the gate and killed the engine. All three of them got down from the car and stared at the mammoth sized mansion.
"This isn't a mansion, this is a palace," Nigel exclaimed.
Sydney walked up the gate, which was about 6 feet high and started to climb it.
"Not another 'unofficial' visit," Preston moaned obviously still remembering the last time they did it.
"Oh stop whining and just climb Preston," Nigel said already almost at the top.
"Well look who's talking. If I remember it was you who always grumbled or complained about something. Podge."
"I resent that!" Nigel said in frustration as he looked up at Preston who had reached over the top.
"Okay, that's enough. Let's just get this done and over with. Without the family memories," Sydney said putting and end to the argument.
The three of them walked into the mansion and looked in awe at the size of the place. Sydney silently whispered a prayer that they'll be able to find the scabbard without any more obstacles.
"You know Syd," Nigel said. " I've been giving the riddle some thought and I think I managed to figure out the part of the 'sun of time'. It could be a sun dial and not dawn."
"Yes, he could be right. I remember reading one of the books about Dandolo's greatest pride was a sundial that he build. It was for his 75th birthday." Preston said.
"Well than let's look for a sundial then," Sydney had already started up a flight of stairs.
The time was 5 p.m. and they still hadn't found anything. Sydney sighed and leaned back against a wall.
"More than 8 hours of searching and still nothing. I'm starting to hate this Dandolo guy," Preston said sitting on a stair.
Maybe we've haven't been looking hard enough. Come on, there must be a place we haven't looked," Sydney said standing straight. The last she wanted was to break Nigel's hope of survival. She stared at him as he looked out a window his eyes half closed and a million miles away.
Preston stood up and dusted his pants, ready for another try.
"Face it Syd, this isn't the place," Nigel said looking down at the floor. "Let's go." Nigel walked out though the door leaving Preston and Sydney alone in the mansion.
Sydney looked at Nigel. She didn't know what to say. But he was right. This wasn't the place.
Author's note: So whada think. I'm being mean here and decide to extend the story for the sake of suspense. ^__^
